Routing for longer trips

[greeiig]

I'm about to embark on my first longish trip in my new MG5 and just wondered how most people handle routing? Zap map seems good but do people use that instead of our as well as Google maps? Any other apps people use for finding chargers enroute?

 

[greeiig]

I'm about to embark on my first longish trip in my new MG5 and just wondered how most people handle routing? Zap map seems good but do people use that instead of our as well as Google maps? Any other apps people use for finding chargers enroute?

Happy Christmas by the way!

 

[sido]

Hi Greeiig,
I use Zap Map app but only after i have looked at the shortest route to my destination. I then pick a stop point, normally before I hit 20% charge and a charge point that has good facilities and more than one charger which I can use. So I only use the Zap to locate chargers where I want them. I save the route in the car Sat Nav, input to the Sat Nav needs some patience but once saved it can easily be brought up for day of travel. On my sat Nav you can only save 3 routes and you need to delete one to save one after that.There is a facility in the sat nav to show charging points but the zap app has more detail and feedback. I always have two back up stops, one sooner and one later than the first one just in case I decide to stop earlier or have no luck at first stop. Quite a few of the Charging Apps have maps showing there own charging points but none as detailed as Zap-Map, there may be others but I don’t use them.

 

[teepee]

Merry Christmas.

Also happy with Zap Map but agree with Sido that you need a couple of backups just in case. Some travellers swear by A Better Route Planner but still prefer zap Map.

Remember that in the cold weather your range will drop so you may need earlier stops than you planned for.
Enjoy.

 

[Slipstream]

I'm about to embark on my first longish trip in my new MG5 and just wondered how most people handle routing? Zap map seems good but do people use that instead of our as well as Google maps? Any other apps people use for finding chargers enroute?

There also Wattsup and nextcharge.

 

[Gomev]

There also Wattsup and nextcharge.

I like WattsUp, shows all the chargers (how many at each site and to the best of it's ability their availability) along and near the route and how far from the start of journey in overview. I can then choose an area where there are lots of chargers. The distance to the chargers updates as you travel as well.
This means that I can plan my journey and charge stops rather than the app tell me where.

 

[ARealHuman]

Put WattsUp on my phone recently, was impressed until I noticed it didn't show local charges that have been around for years :-(

 

[Gomev]

Put WattsUp on my phone recently, was impressed until I noticed it didn't show local charges that have been around for years :-(

It only shows rapids, not the fast 7kw destination type like in supermarkets. It appears designed for the longer journeys where a quick top up is needed.

 

[ARealHuman]

Thanks @Gomev, I didn't know that!

 

[Deleted member 7171]

It only shows rapids, not the fast 7kw destination type like in supermarkets. It appears designed for the longer journeys where a quick top up is needed.

A little off topic.....I've always wondered about 7kw chargers in supermarkets, like what's the point? You're there for say 30 mins to an hour? Put on say 7 KWh (28 miles) max whilst shopping. Surely a few rapids would be better suited?

Our local Morrisons has a rapid, it's on zapmap. Doesn't work though because it's in an underground carpark and neither the charger nor driver can get a phone signal. Great planning eh.

 

[Gomev]

A little off topic.....I've always wondered about 7kw chargers in supermarkets, like what's the point? You're there for say 30 mins to an hour? Put on say 7 KWh (28 miles) max whilst shopping. Surely a few rapids would be better suited?

Our local Morrisons has a rapid, it's on zapmap. Doesn't work though because it's in an underground carpark and neither the charger nor driver can get a phone signal. Great planning eh.

But conversely, would you need to be on a rapid for an hour while you did your shopping ?

Top up grazing is the way forward. this youtube is about grazing and makes perfect sense for everybody, not just those that can't charge at home..

 

[greeiig]

Thanks for the helpful info. I wish I'd been a little less blase.. my trip was 120 miles to the in laws, lunch etc then heading home 5 or so hours later. Arrived with 30% battery. . No worries I thought. I'll plug in the granny charger and top up a bit. . Heading home it had added 5%.!! We thought we'd just pop into motorway services on the M4.15% left. Ecotricity chargers not working. But as it was my first time, took 30 mins to come to that conclusion. So now I know what range anxiety is all about. Next services was 15 miles. Just made it and chargers worked,. But an enforced stop for an hour at an entity services on boxing Day was a bit dull. Still, it did the trick and got home fine. I will definitely do some more forward planning next time.

 

[Deleted member 7171]

Thanks for the helpful info. I wish I'd been a little less blase.. my trip was 120 miles to the in laws, lunch etc then heading home 5 or so hours later. Arrived with 30% battery. . No worries I thought. I'll plug in the granny charger and top up a bit. . Heading home it had added 5%.!! We thought we'd just pop into motorway services on the M4.15% left. Ecotricity chargers not working. But as it was my first time, took 30 mins to come to that conclusion. So now I know what range anxiety is all about. Next services was 15 miles. Just made it and chargers worked,. But an enforced stop for an hour at an entity services on boxing Day was a bit dull. Still, it did the trick and got home fine. I will definitely do some more forward planning next time.

Range anxiety is rapidly being overtaken by charger serviceability anxiety. About time UK companies were fined for not maintaining their network, as happens in the Netherlands.

 

[Deleted member 7171]

Interesting listening

113 - The Charger Hunting Episode

This is episode 113 of EV Musings a podcast about renewables, electric vehicles and things that are interesting to electric vehicle owners. On the show today we'll be looking at finding chargers. How do you know where they are? This season of the podcast is sponsored by Zap Map. Email me at...

aca.st

 

[FormerOctavia]

Thanks for the helpful info. I wish I'd been a little less blase.. my trip was 120 miles to the in laws, lunch etc then heading home 5 or so hours later. Arrived with 30% battery. . No worries I thought. I'll plug in the granny charger and top up a bit. . Heading home it had added 5%.!! We thought we'd just pop into motorway services on the M4.15% left. Ecotricity chargers not working. But as it was my first time, took 30 mins to come to that conclusion. So now I know what range anxiety is all about. Next services was 15 miles. Just made it and chargers worked,. But an enforced stop for an hour at an entity services on boxing Day was a bit dull. Still, it did the trick and got home fine. I will definitely do some more forward planning next time.

Interesting. I guess it's a case of swings and roundabouts. I have had my 5 LR for a month and done 1000 miles. Vast majority of power has come from my home charger. If I was using petrol, I would have had to do 2 or 3 trip to a petrol station, so the occasional sitting about at a charger is probably of similar inconvenience. At least when charging you can read a book !

 

[MickH]

Glad to hear you survived your first long journey, the first one is always a bit nerve racking. The thing with changing to an EV is that it can be a bit of a steep learning curve as not only do you have to get your head around the charging networks, particularly which ones are reliable - you also have to employ rather more thought into any long journey. Anyway, After trying a multitude of different Apps I eventually settled on a pincer method of planning my routes using ABRP (a paid subscription so I can take advantage of the live weather functions) and I use Zap-Map to double check the suitability of the suggested charge stops. The ability to read the user comments in Zap-Map has saved me from many a broken charger!

 

[EWD]

Glad to hear you survived your first long journey, the first one is always a bit nerve racking. The thing with changing to an EV is that it can be a bit of a steep learning curve as not only do you have to get your head around the charging networks, particularly which ones are reliable - you also have to employ rather more thought into any long journey. Anyway, After trying a multitude of different Apps I eventually settled on a pincer method of planning my routes using ABRP (a paid subscription so I can take advantage of the live weather functions) and I use Zap-Map to double check the suitability of the suggested charge stops. The ability to read the user comments in Zap-Map has saved me from many a broken charger!

I do the same. ABRP followed by double checking chargers on ZapMap. I then use Waze for navigation.

 

[RPC]

I'm about to embark on my first longish trip in my new MG5 and just wondered how most people handle routing? Zap map seems good but do people use that instead of our as well as Google maps? Any other apps people use for finding chargers enroute?

I use a combination of ABRP and Plugshare. The former is, in my opinion, hard to use (but I am learning to manage it better) but good for (conservatively) estimating what the state of charge on arrival at next charger. The latter is better for linking to Google Maps to help find that next charger. I have just returned from a Sydney - Melbourne environs - Sydney journey using those tools.

I did have a problem at one Chargefox station where I had a problem previously and there was one town where there was a queue of Teslas but, overall, it worked.

This was our first long trip by MG ZS EV, other than Sydney-Canberra return.

 

[RPC]

I use a combination of ABRP and Plugshare. The former is, in my opinion, hard to use (but I am learning to manage it better) but good for (conservatively) estimating what the state of charge on arrival at next charger. The latter is better for linking to Google Maps to help find that next charger. I have just returned from a Sydney - Melbourne environs - Sydney journey using those tools (878 km each way).

I did have a problem at one Chargefox station where I had a problem previously and there was one town where there was a queue of Teslas but, overall, it worked.

This was our first long trip by MG ZS EV, other than Sydney-Canberra return.

BTW, the archaic units are interesting . What is 120 "miles" in cubits? Or Stadia or Aṅgulas or Barlecorns or Jows or Unglies?
878km converts to 1.9204E+6 cubits, according to
convert km to cubits - Bing

In (part) jest,
RPC

 

[FormerOctavia]

I do the same. ABRP followed by double checking chargers on ZapMap. I then use Waze for navigation.

Is ABRP better than Google Maps?